Hackney Council calls for the 254 bus to become inner London’s first Superloop

Hackney Council wants Transport for London to drop its plans for six bus routes that run through the borough: numbers 254, 253, 149, 106, 67 and 42.

In its response, the council argues that one cut after another has steadily worn down the local network. It warns that the burden would fall most heavily on poorer households and on women, as well as on global majority communities.

Route 254 withdrawal and the Superloop proposal

Its biggest worry is losing the 254. If that route goes, some stretches between Whitechapel and Hackney would be left with the 106 as their only direct bus. Rather than scrap it, the council proposes making the 254 the first Superloop route in inner London. It would run as an express, stopping less often and getting passengers through more quickly.

Cllr Jacob Cable, who holds the transport brief in the council cabinet, said: “We are calling on TfL to protect our vital bus network from further cuts.” He cited the bus gates the council has put in on Amhurst Road and on Church Street in Stoke Newington. He also said no other part of London has as much bus lane coverage as Hackney, and asked residents to send TfL their views. The consultations close on Sunday 20 September.

Political row over Hackney bus cuts

The council’s objection follows criticism from Hackney Labour, the opposition group. Three weeks ago, as Green mayor Zoë Garbett reached 100 days in office, Labour set out a series of complaints about her administration. One was its failure to speak up about the possible cuts. The mayor’s spokesperson called the complaints inaccurate at the time. Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, chairs the TfL board.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, who leads the Labour group and represents London Fields, challenged TfL’s reasoning in a letter last month. The Labour leaders of Enfield and Haringey had already written to City Hall. Cllr Bramble said removing the 254 would make the remaining buses busier at peak times. She also pointed to a contradiction: the plans rely on frequency changes to cover the lost route, yet leave frequencies out of the consultation.

She wants TfL to put firm figures for the new frequencies on record. She has also called for a public meeting, plus more consultation events along the routes involved.

Responding for TfL, Geoff Hobbs, its director of public transport service planning, said it reviews services regularly “to ensure they continue to meet customer demand and make the best use of available resources”. In his view, the changes would bring services more closely into line with the number of people using them today.